Vindication Of Woman

In a century where women had very little or no rights at all, Mary Wollstonecraft appears as a voice of feminism. This women living in a male dominated society, tries to vindicate women’s rights through one of the only areas where she is able to show her intelligence: literature. In the 18th century, Wollstonecraft's essay “A vindication of the Rights of Woman,” was published as a reaction to the French Revolutionary Assembly’s Declaration of the rights of Man, which granted participatory citizenship only to men. She adopts a serious tone in order to establish her opinion about women in society, and influence her audience to think the same way. Throughout her essay, Mary Wollstonecraft emphasizes in need of equality through the use of several

Using the words “ If i treat them like rational creatures, instead flattering their fascinating graces, and viewing them as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone,”(line 1) to introduce her point, allows the reader to compare both ways a woman can be treated like in society. But, most importantly it emphasizes on the fact that women are rational creatures who can stand up for themselves instead of children who need to be taken care of. According to the author, “When {women} marry, they act as such children may be expected to act: they dress, they paint, and nickname God’s creatures,” (line 59) which implies that marriage is not the way a women should stand up for herself. She denigrates those who believe women should only get married and continue to get treated as a child. Her main focus on the essay is to motivate women to stand up for themselves and to fight for their rights; that should be equivalent to those that men receive. Her use of sarcasm throughout the essay causes the reader to get a full perception of how women are actually being treated and why it should

Using such literary devices permits the audience to understand the emotions and arguments of the essay. The constant repetition of “I wish to,” and “I shall” are a way in which Wollstonecraft is able to create emphasis on both what she wants to accomplish with the essay and what she is willing to do in order to get women to be treated equally. The constant repetition of these phrases makes it clear for the audience that she has a goal in mind and that she will fight no matter what it takes. By doing this, it inspires the audience to join as she strengthens her credibility. Wollstonecraft makes it easier for her audience to get hooked as she used rhetorical questions that creates the uncertainty of what is wrong and what is right. For example when she asks “Can {women} govern a family, or take care of the poor babes whom they bring into the world?,” is a way in which she gets the audience thinking. If women are being treated as children, how can they be expected to bring babies into the world and be able to take care of a family, it makes no sense. With this type of questions she is able to change her audience opinion about the topic and generate a movement that will be able to change how women are